Don Allum

During the crossing, Don and Geoff had only a short wave radio receiver for listening to the BBC World Service; no electronic equipment for communicating with other vessels.

Their chosen port of departure was Las Palmas on Gran Canaria, in the Canary Islands; in part because it had also been Ridgway and Blyth's starting point, as well as that of Alain Bombard, who rafted across the Atlantic in 1952.

He successfully rowed from Pasito Blanco on Gran Canaria to the Caribbean island of Nevis in 114 days; however, due to completely depleting his water stocks in the final two weeks, by the time he reached his destination he had lost half of his body weight and his eyesight and hearing were failing.

[3] In September 1987 Allum completed his eastward crossing of the Atlantic, from St John's, Newfoundland to Dooagh on Achill Island, County Mayo, Ireland.

[4] British rock band Marillion released an eighteen-minute song called "Ocean Cloud" on its 2004 album Marbles based on his solo crossings.

Globe map centred on the North Atlantic, with lines drawn east–west and west–east depicting the routes taken.
Don Allum's routes across the Atlantic in the 1970s with Geoff Allum (red) and solo in the 1980s (yellow).
Black circular plaque mounted on a standing rock. Text reads: "Don Allum, the first man to row across the Atlantic in both directions, landed on the rocky shore down from this memorial, from St. John's Newfoundland on 4th September 1987, completing the second leg of his epic voyage in a 19 ft. 10 ins. plywood open boat, the QE 3, after 77 days at sea."
Monument erected in Dooagh on Achill Island, County Mayo, Ireland